Robotics systems are being increasingly used for all sorts of manufacturing activities including placement, mounting, interconnection, soldering, heating, and spraying (i.e. painting) and the like for use with all sorts of devices from microcircuitry to large, heavy machinery. Robotics devices typically comprise a linearly movable structure having a plurality of articulated arms which may be swingably moved in a plurality of mutually orthogonal directions. The free end of the outermost arm is typically provided with some form of manipulating or activating device such as a pair of pickup arms, an air jet or paint spraying nozzle, a heating element such as a soldering tip, a rotatable tool such as the tip of a screw driver, and so forth.
To provide robotics system which are flexible and provide a variety of operations with a minimum of robotic devices and interconnecting elements, it is desirable to provide a robotics system with interchangeable elements which may be removed and replaced by other interchangeable elements suitable for the particular job application. The addition of arms, manipulators, coupling elements and the like add both mass and complexity to the robotic devices placing a strain upon both the driving and control mechanisms for the robotic devices.